Major League Soccer's CMO departs (Score 32)

Sales lead: Be prepared to reach out once the league finds a new marketing chief. 

• Major League Soccer (MLS) lost its CMO, David Bruce, in August 2023.
• Bruce joined the league in 2012 as senior brand & integrated marketing VP.
• He was promoted to CMO in December 2022.
• We will be sure to update you as soon as MLS names a replacement. 

Target demographic: Male Gen-Z & millennial soccer fans with a Hispanic skew

Once it hires a new CMO, the organization will likely:

• Continue increasing ad spend
• Experiment with new ad channels
• Review the current agency roster

Broadcast insights (TV ad creative spend, effectiveness, impressions, and performance)

• YTD spend: MLS spent about $73k on national TV ads YTD, up from $3.9k spent in this channel during the same time period of 2022. 
• 2021-2022 spend: Full-year spend plummeted from $144.8k in 2021 to $4k in 2022. 
• Ad programming: It placed ads during programming such as Fútbol Leagues Cup, Leagues Cup, Leagues Cup en 60, FIFA Women's World Cup 2023, and 2019 MLS All-Star Game. 

Digital and social insights (digital ad spend, effectiveness, impressions, and performance)

• YTD spend: MLS spent nearly $5.6m on digital display ads YTD, an 81% increase from $3.1m spent in this channel during the same time period of 2022. 
• YTD data: 761.8m impressions via Facebook (49%), Instagram (38%), YouTube (9%), desktop display (2%), and Twitter (2%). 
• 2021-2022 spend: Full-year spend equaled $6.7m in 2021 and $6m in 2022. 
• Ad location: It placed 99% of these ads directly onto sites such as facebook.com, instagram.com, youtube.com, twitter.com, and dallasnews.com. It placed 1% of these ads indirectly through Google AdX+AdSense onto sites such as complex.com, billboard.com, solecollector.com, politico.com, and firstwefeast.com. 

Additional channel insights  

• Vivvix: MLS also utilizes OOH, print, radio, and local broadcast. 
• Top podcasts sponsored: Football Weekly, ESPN FC, The Audio Long Read, Men In Blazers, and POST Wrestling. 

Agency analysis:

• Opportunity: You will have a better shot at picking up some of MLS's business once it hires a new CMO. 
• Current roster:
  • Cornerstone Agency: creative AOR